The UN Secretary-General has welcomed Wednesday’s announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza following 15 months of war. 

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, António Guterres commended mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their dedicated efforts in brokering the agreement.

“Their unwavering commitment to finding a diplomatic solution has been critical in achieving this breakthrough,” he said.

He called on all relevant parties to uphold their commitments to ensure that the deal is fully implemented.

Ease the suffering

Mr. Guterres noted that from the outset of the violence, he has called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.  

Stressing that the priority must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by the conflict, he said the UN stands ready to support the implementation of the deal and scale up the delivery of sustained humanitarian relief.

“It is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza so that we can support a major increase in urgent lifesaving humanitarian support. The humanitarian situation is at catastrophic levels,” he warned.

Allow aid in

 The Secretary-General called on all parties to facilitate the rapid, unhindered, and safe humanitarian relief for all civilians in need. 

For its part, the UN “will do whatever is humanly possible, aware of the serious challenges and constraints that we will be facing”.  He expects that these efforts will be matched by humanitarian organizations, the private sector and bilateral initiatives.

‘Advance broader goals’

 “This deal is a critical first step, but we must mobilize all efforts to also advance broader goals, including the preservation of the unity, contiguity, and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” he said.

Palestinian unity is essential for achieving lasting peace and stability, in this regard, and he emphasized that unified Palestinian governance must remain a top priority. 

“I urge the parties and all relevant partners to seize this opportunity to establish a credible political path to a better future for Palestinians, Israelis, and the broader region,” he continued.

He highlighted the need to end the occupation and achieve a negotiated two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

© UNRWA/Fadi El Tayyar UNRWA flag-lowering ceremony at the UNRWA Lebanon Field Office in Beirut.

Remember lives lost

Before concluding his remarks, Mr. Guterres paid tribute to the civilians who have lost their lives in the conflict, including UN personnel and humanitarian workers. 

The war in Gaza recently entered a third year.

Israel launched the military campaign following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on its territory. Some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken as hostages, with around 100 still being held.

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, according to Gaza’s health authorities. 

UNRWA threat looms

Gaza has a population of just over two million, and 1.9 million have been displaced, according to the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, which is housing hundreds of thousands in its schools-turned-shelters.

The Secretary-General has repeatedly referred to UNRWA as the “backbone” of relief efforts in the enclave.  The agency has suffered immense losses as 265 staff members have been killed and its facilities have come under attack.

The ceasefire announcement comes as two Israeli laws aimed at ending UNRWA ‘s operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are due to take effect in mere weeks.

“The agency’s collapse – whether immediate or gradual – will only compound the immense suffering in Gaza,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday at a meeting in Oslo focused on the two-State solution.